In N.Y., Emily Steel in a front-page piece reports Nielsen, the 93-year-old company that "has long operated an effective monopoly" over TV ratings in the U.S., is "facing blistering criticism from TV and advertising executives who see it as a relic of television’s rabbit-ears past as the digital revolution transforms how people consume entertainment." New competition -- notably the $768M merger this week of comScore and Rentrak -- is "forcing Nielsen to evolve." The stakes "are high," as some $70B in ad dollars are traded in the U.S. each year based on Nielsen’s ratings, and hundreds of TV programs "live or die based on that viewership data." Macquarie analyst Tim Nollen said, "The TV ratings system as we know it is outdated" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/3).
MORE HOOPS: Ramona Shelburne has reached a multiyear deal to stay at ESPN, with a focus on NBA news and programming. Shelburne beginning this month will expand her L.A.-based role, becoming a regular contributor on Rachel Nichols’ new daily show, “The Jump,” which debuts Feb. 18. She also will make appearances on “Around the Horn,” “PTI,” “OTL,” “SportsNation” and “NBA Tonight,” as well as write for espnW. Shelburne also will be pairing with Michelle Beadle for a new national radio show, “Beadle & Shelburne,” which will premiere Feb. 21 in the 12:00-2:00pm ET window from ESPN’s L.A. studios. Shelburne has been a regular host for ESPN Radio 710 L.A. since '10 after joining ESPN in '09. She is repped by CAA (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
KEEP FIGHTING: ESPN's Holly Rowe said that she is "undergoing surgery to remove a tumor." The AP reported Rowe "had surgery in May to remove a tumor in her chest." Rowe said in a statement that a new tumor "had recently been found." Rowe said that she "is having surgery" next Tuesday (AP, 2/2).
COMING TO FRUITION: ESPN's "The Undefeated" has hired five new contributors to its website, including two from the Washington Post. Lonnae O’Neal was named Senior Writer/Profiles, and Clinton Yates was named Senior Writer. Fusion's Latoya Peterson also was named Deputy Editor/Digital Innovation. Crain's Chicago Business Managing Editor Steve Reiss was hired as Deputy Editor/Enterprise & Narrative, and former Vibe Editor-In-Chief Danyel Smith as Senior Culture Editor (ESPN).
